For every dog lover, when their dog or puppy first comes into their family and enters their house, it is one of the best feelings ever. The excitement and happiness of welcoming a new pet into your family is an incredible experience. Although a dog is a beautiful addition to the family, it brings with it countless queries. Especially when it comes to Border Collie, also known as the Einstein of the dogs, you would want to know everything about this breed before bringing it home.
This guide covers detailed information about Border Collie, including their characteristics, personality, exercise schedule, tips, and tricks to train them and a lot more! Remember, this journey will bring so many difficulties and challenges, but it's all worth it.
Adaptability
Adaptability describes whether a certain breed can adjust to a new environment or not. It is extremely important to know how adaptive a certain breed is before proceeding with the buying or adopting process.
Border Collies scored 3 stars out of 5, which implies that they are adaptive in nature. There are multiple factors behind the adaptability level.
All-Around Friendliness
Border Collies are friendly dogs who just need love from their owner. Since this breed is social and friendly, they have scored 4 out of 5 stars in all-around friendliness.
Here are some reasons why:
Health and Grooming Needs
Health and grooming are vital for any kind of breed. Make sure that the breed you bring into your home is perfectly healthy. Border Collies have secured 3 out of 5 stars for their needs for health and grooming.
Some reasons behind such score are:
Trainability
Thanks to their quick learning skills and sharp minds, training Border Collies can be fun! Overall, their trainability score is 4 out of 5 stars.
The Border Collie Physical Needs
This vibrant and lively creature has scored 5 out of 5 stars in physical needs.
This is where it boils down to
Border Collie is one of the most enthusiastic, intelligent, and energetic dog breeds. They are typically used for herding livestock, mainly sheep. Since this breed has one of the sharpest minds than other breeds, Border Collie has broken numerous athletic records.
Due to their intelligent and sharp mind, they can learn new commands as quickly as 10 seconds. With an average level of coat, this type of herding dog is mostly found in black and white colors. Though not common, border collie has also been seen in a variety of colors, including blue merle, Australian red, brindle, lilac, red tricolor(white/red/tan), and black tricolor (white/black/tan).
Not all Border Collies have multiple colors. Some have a single color too. Mainly their eye color is either brown or blue, but some rare cases have different colors too. Moreover, their ears can also be varied. Some examples include semi-erect ears, entirely dropped ears, entirely erect ears, etc.
Border Collie was bred primarily for herding purpose, sheep in particular. However, as time passed, they learned about herding other animals too. Soon, they became the most precious resource for every shepherd. Further, Breeding as started among the most useful working dogs. The type of breed relied mainly on the land they would live in and the work required from them. Each of the kind was named after its region, and this came into existence Northern Sheepdogs, Highland Collies, Welsh sheepdogs, and Scott Collies.
The origin of this breed lies in a country between Scotland and England in the 17th century. In the year 1860, England hosted its second dog show in which the Scottish sheepdogs participated and became famous. Over time, their popularity increased and reached the English gentry. In the year 1995, Border Collie received recognition from the American Kennel Club.
Even today, these dogs are prevalent for their art of herding. But their job is much diverse, and it is not just limited to sheep herding. Their ability to learn quickly and understand easily makes them quite useful for various jobs, including bomb detection, police work, and narcotics.
Furthermore, you can also use their assistance in rescuing and searching purposes. Due to their protective and friendly nature, they can be an excellent guide for blind people.
Border Collie is a medium-sized dog that is nearly 55 centimeters or 22 inches high and weight around 13-20 kg or 30-45 lbs. A Border Collie with weighing more than the standard weight could be struggling from some health problems which should be looked after immediately.
Border Collies love working hard more than other breeds. Several titles such as 'working dogs' or 'helping dogs' have been associated with them because of their nature. This breed was developed for helping the farmers in herding livestock, especially sheep. If trained correctly, they can be treasured in reducing the number of efforts of farmers. They can easily adjust even in life in the toughest of the conditions.
They need a strict routine and tons of work. They don't get tired quickly, and they can work for hours with the same amount of energy. It is a part of their core nature, which cannot be changed. Hence, you should always ensure the availability of such activities when a Border Collie moves in with you.
This dog is a perfect example of beauty and brain. As beautiful as they are, they also have a very sharp mind. Due to their intelligence, the Border Collie breed is an easy one to train. They learn things quickly that work accordingly. Therefore, smartness is one of the main attributes of this breed that often outsmarts its beauty.
They have an incredible capacity to learn new things very quickly. Border Collie can easily understand things like new words, actions, and commands in a very short period.
It is safe to say that once they set their minds to do something, nothing stops them.
Along with their smart mind and hardworking nature, they have also proved themselves to be loyal to their families. With just a single intimidating stare, it can scare sheep or any other animal, even human beings. They know how to protect their family and how to react in difficult circumstances. Their ability to think and analyze the situation makes them respond quickly to the situation.
One of the most incredible personality traits of a Border collie is their friendly nature. Though they are cruel to strangers, they are just as sweet when it comes to their master and family. Once they are accepted into the family with open arms, they'll remain loyal to them for the rest of their lives! Just like they love working and exercising, they love humans, too.
Border Collie has a sensitive but social nature, and if you know how to handle it and take care of its needs. It will be your perfect pet.
It is one of those personality traits that make a Border Collie a unique breed. They have countless amounts of energy. Their intense stamina, both mentally and physically, is the main reason behind their workaholic nature. You cannot expect them just to sit around being a couch potato. He doesn't like cuddling either. He needs to work more than other dogs, which is why it is perfect for herding sheep.
This trait should be kept in mind while deciding to get a Border Collie. If indulging in exercises and games to satisfy their energetic nature feels overwhelming and exhausting to you, you might want to reconsider your decision. Once you buy or adopt it, you will have to arrange such workout sessions for it. Their physical health can be risked if they are not provided with an intense routine. Their mental health may also suffer, resulting in annoying behaviors like chasing cars, barking, or digging.
Just play with them, train them, just keep them busy all the time. This workaholic creature needs work. Allow them to work for you, and they can become your loving friend and a loyal family member.
Just like their needs, you should also have complete knowledge about the health issues of Border Collie. Below you can find some common health problems that this breed goes through and how you can treat them.
Usually, puppies suffer from this disorder in which their choroid is affected. The choroid is a tissue found in dogs that are known for supplying oxygen to the retina of their eyes. Choroid can become thin due to CEA, which may also result in intraocular hemorrhage or blindness.
Unfortunately, CEA cannot be cured with any treatment. If it's a mild case, the condition will not become worse. Whereas if the case is severe, it might lead to surgery. Only a veterinarian can tell after examining the dog how the case should have proceeded.
This disease is very common in dogs. According to a study, 70% of dogs suffer from hip dysplasia. There is no age limit for the illness to occur so that it can happen to any dog at any stage. While the joints grow, the femoral head gets dislocated, which causes strange gait, stiffness, and pain, as the time passes.
The treatment of hip dysplasia relies on the severity of the disease. It can be controlled through medications, but if the condition gets critical, surgery might be required.
Unlike hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia is a rare condition in which numerous unusual developments occur in the elbow joint of a Border Collie. Because of elbow dysplasia, the Border Collie can face difficulties in walking. Over time, this disease can grow and turn into a severe condition that can either cause a joint to a malfunction or degenerate. The degeneration of joints will cause more pain to the dog. The treatment relies on the seriousness of the condition. A mild condition can be cured through medications, but surgery might be the best option for severe conditions. To identify the disease and its severity, consult a veterinarian.
Also known as OCD, Osteochondritis Dissecans is also a disease of Border Collie's joints. It causes the cartilage (that works like a shield for joints) to break down. The dog goes through severe pain in this condition because It makes the joints unstable. It can be cured through arthroscopy or surgery, whichever your veterinarian recommends.
It is a common eye disease among Border Collie dogs. In this disorder, the dog starts to lose his vision over time. The ultimate result is blindness. Typically, it occurs to the dogs of age nearly three years old, but there are some cases where PRA occurred to puppies. Even though PRA cannot be cured, its effects can be managed. Nevertheless, the brilliant mind of Border Collies makes it easier for them to live with blindness. As long as they feel secure, you should not worry. Just avoid significant changes inside your house and keep them closed with the help of a smaller leash.
It is an inherited disease that is quite common among Border Collies and can cause seizures. This disease cannot be diagnosed with screening through some signs such as stiffening, collapsing, chomping, drooling, or tongue chewing, the presence of this condition can be detected in a dog. Through medication, this disease can be treated. However, you should make sure to handle the seizures calmly and gently.
The Border Collie is easy to train, but it can be challenging to nurture. They have special needs, such as exercise, grooming, etc. Before buying or adopting a Border Collie, they should learn how to take care of him first.
Here is a comprehensive guide to taking care of a Border Collie to ensure his well-being with you.
To ensure a healthy lifestyle, you need to provide him the best dog food. You can buy from any of the famous and reliable dog food brands or prepare yourself for your veterinarian's approval. The nutrition your dog needs depends on its age (senior, puppy, or adult). You should also keep track of their calorie intake as they can gain extra weight by eating more than the required amount. Another thing to be careful about is treating. It can be used as a reward during training sessions but in a limited quantity. An immoderate number of treats can also result in obesity. If you want to give him any human food, you should do detailed research to ensure the food won't do them any harm. You must have clean and fresh water available all the time. Lastly, if the dog seems overweight or you suspect any other health issue, consult your veterinarian.
Some of the most trustworthy dog foods for Border Collies are listed below:
Since Border Collies spend their entire day running, playing, or engaging in other activities, their diet should fulfill their energy requirements. It is recommended that their food should be rich with calories.
In general, a Border Collie requires 1.5 to 2 cups of high-standard kibble daily two times per day. Kibble containing sources such as meat protein, chondroitin, and glucosamine will keep your dog healthy.
For Border Collie puppies, half to one cup of kibble daily is sufficient.
Given the amount of food required per day, the cost of dog food for a grown-up Border Collie is around $60 per month. The amount would be lesser in the case of a puppy.
Border Collie contains two different coats. One is the rough coat, which has medium length and feather. The other is a smooth coat, which is short in length. Both of these coats require brushing once or twice per week at a minimum. Brushing is necessary for Border Collie to prevent its coat from any sort of dirt, mat, debris, and tangles. While the season of shedding is going on, you should brush your dog daily. Don't forget to take care of their nails; they need to be trimmed regularly.
Concerning its extremely energetic nature, a Border Collie required a more intense workout than other dog breeds. The daily walk might not be enough for them as this breed is trained to do a lot more than just walking. For them, an ideal place is the one with ample space to run and numerous activities to perform. It is crystal clear that this breed is highly active, devoted, and energetic, so if a Border Collie is not running or doing exercise like other dogs of the same kind, you should consider consulting a veterinarian as this behavior is not usual for such a breed. You should also provide several exercises for it to stay healthy.
If you like Border Collie dogs and want to buy or adopt one, you should first understand the breed. Their training says a lot about how well the master understands his pet. So before talking about the tips for training, let's know when to start training and how to proceed with it.
From their puppyhood stage, Border Collie requires socializing. Engaging and interacting with people who leave a positive influence on them is necessary right from the beginning till the end of their puppyhood.
Training should be started from the early stages to make them obedient and agile. As they have herding instincts, they get along pretty well with older children. Border Collie is a loyal breed who would go above and beyond to please his master. However, they might seem reserved in front of strangers.
If you want to learn more about the training of a Border Collie, we've got you covered. Below are some tips for training them well so keep on reading
Trick training is the best training at the initial stages. In this training, the owner plays a part in the leader and teaches the dog a few basic commands. Remember to use simple words for him to understand and remember easily. Praise and encourage him whenever he obeys your command correctly. Single-word commands such as 'sit,' 'come,' and 'fetch' etc. are more comfortable for the dog to understand and grasp. It will boost their confidence and motivate them to learn more.
Furthermore, such pieces of training keep the mind of Border Collies sharp and focused. They will also become more obedient once they realize that you are the 'Alpha dog' (the leader) and are supposed to obey you. Once you have completed the necessary training, you can proceed to further complicated commands such as 'Fetch the stick', 'play a dead dog,' and 'rollover' etc.
Border Collie is a human-friendly dog that requires exposure to positive people. Socializing should be a part of their training so that you know how to control the dog in public places where many people and other dogs are around. Through socializing, he'll understand better how his owner wants him to behave in front of people and their pets. Moreover, socializing will also reduce his aggression.
For potty training, you should keep in mind that it might take over a week to understand his response to the command "go potty" or any other phrase of your choice. He will take his time to grasp the meaning of the words and understand your expectations from him when you say that. Remember to use a simple-to-understand name for your command so that you don't forget it. With consistent practice for over a week or two, he will eventually understand what you ask him to do. But you have to be patient.
In crate training, you use and control a Border Collie through his instincts since he is a den animal. This training will teach your dogs that the cage or crate is just like their den. His den is his safe haven, where he is protected and surrounded by his family. He can eat, play, sleep, and do anything he wants. Through this training, he will learn the boundaries, i.e. what he can and cannot do inside the house. It is just like teaching him the rules of your home.
You can use the crate for puppies when you are out, but to a limited extent. Typically, Border Collie likes to stay with their owner's family; hence, excessive use of crates may lead to over-excitement or hyperactivity.
Lastly, as already stated before, Border Collie is an active breed that requires a significant amount of workout and numerous activities every day. A combination of both mental as well as physical training is perfect for their health. Hence, take them to parks, play Frisbee with them, and teach them new commands. It'll make their day and yours too.
In case you want your border Collie to be trained by a professional dog trainer or from a dog school, you should be patient with the trainers. If you don't see a result shortly after the start of his training, know that it is normal. It is neither your dog's fault nor its trainer's. Give them time and be patient with them; you will eventually see the results. On the contrary, if you want your dog to be perfectly trained overnight and frequently switch the trainer, you will worsen the situation. Having numerous trainers in a short period will confuse the dog since every trainer has various training strategies. It will lead them to show more aggressive behavior.
Your goal is not limited to essential training only. Once your dog is trained for the basics, increase the challenges and hurdles gradually and teach it how to overcome that. Play complicated games such as hide and seek. Introduce tricky techniques to herd the animals once they learn the fundamental ones.
With a dog as active as a Border Collie, your patience will be tested on several occasions. You will feel frustrated and would even want to give up on them. But you have to remain calm and remind yourself that good things will take time. Frustration will only increase the problems for both of you, so avoiding it is the best. Don't scream if your dog is taking more time than the other dogs. Be firm, gentle, and, most importantly, patient with them, and they will not disappoint you. All they need is confidence, love, and care for their owner, and they will do everything to make you proud.
If you think that a Border Collie will easily forget his training instincts through a little training, you should think again. This breed was developed and trained for the very purpose, and it can't get rid of that. It is rooted deeply in his nature.
Border Collie is a ferocious breed with several secrets not known to humans. There are numerous facts associated with Border Collies, but most people are not aware of them.
That is why we have gathered some little-known facts about Border Collie that you should know. Enjoy!
Did you know? Queen Victoria loved dogs. But the Border Collie was one of her most favorite breeds.
Another interesting fact that makes Border Collie a genuinely unique breed is that it is a part of Scottish literature. A well-known Scottish poet Robert Burns had a Border Collie which he loved dearly. He called it Luath and mentioned him in his writing as well. The poem 'The Twa Dogs,' later became one of the best poems of his career, was inspired by Luath's tragic death. This poem summarized a loving relationship between a man and his dog beautifully.
That's right. Border Collie breed owns numerous records that are not unpredictable, keeping in mind their extraordinary capabilities and intelligence. Chaser, the Border Collie, holds the world record of being the most intelligent dog. She can acknowledge over 1000 objects. Jumpy, the Border Collie, holds an athletic record for its marvelous performance of skateboarding. It covered 100 meters in under 20 seconds.
Another border Collie named striker who was from Quebec City holds a record of moving the manual window of a car down. One of the fascinating records is dog balancing in which the Border collie known as sweet pea balanced several cans in its head, and in just 2 minutes and 55seconds, she completed a walk for about 100 meters.
Border Collie dogs have often been seen participating as we as acing numerous competitions such as agility, tracking, obedience, and herding, etc. They also participate in sports, including flyball, flying discs, and many more.
One of the unique qualities of Border Collie is that it can be an amazing actor. In fact, several dogs have been featured on the TV shows as well as movies. One example is the movie called 'Babe.' It involves a story of a pig who went against the odds to become a sheepherder. Border Collie breed is found in this film in the role of sheepherders. Some other examples include the movies 'Snow Dogs' and 'Animal Show' and a famous TV show 'Mad About You'.
Border Collie dogs have extraordinary skills and talents that should not be restricted to herding sheep only. They are very good at searching, so they also work as rescue dogs. Recently, an old lady about 51 years old was rescued by a Border Collie dog known as Blitz. It had been over a day since the woman went missing.
To solve the case, the rescue team decided to take Blitz's help, so they took Blitz to the search area. The lady was found by Blitz from under the plants where humans couldn't have possibly searched for her.
This one is hard to believe but is also true. One of the various jobs that can be done by the Border Collie is that of 'Goose Master.' In Florida, there is an organization where Border Collie dogs are trained to prevent geese from going near people's property. In the University of Florida, a dog known as Bee has been hired as a goose master. He prevents geese from coming close to the building and the areas where traffic is more.
The love for this breed is not just limited to Queen Victoria. Numerous celebrities love and own the Border Collie breed too. Some famous names known to have a pet Border Collie include James Deen, Bon Jovi, James Franko, Ethan Hawke, Tiger woods, and Anna Paquin.
The intense and scary nature of Border collie dogs makes them a ferocious animal. While no one can doubt their loyalty to their owners, one must be very vigilant before introducing a Border Collie to his family, especially infants. Their natural herding instincts might get triggered even in the presence of children. In the attempt to herd them, Border Collies can scare your little ones through their intense stare or bark. In the worst-case scenario, they might physically hurt them too. The same is the case with other animals at your house. You might observe them feeling terrified in the presence of Border Collie.
The good thing is, you can change their behavior through proper training. Training will help it understand how the relationship between it and your children should be. Once they are trained correctly, they will not harm the kids. Nevertheless, you need to be very careful.
In case you are searching for a Border Collie in Australia, you can visit the following organizations:
Started in 1967, Arajoel Border Collies is among the biggest breeders of Border collies in Australia. Their expertise lies in breeding Border Collies that have a fine temperament. They provide Border collies having several coats and colors.
Navika Border collies is a breeder located in the North of New South Wales. They have one of the best-trained Border Collies in Australia. Their breeds actively participate in a variety of shows, including jumpers, agility, Ralli, and obedience.
In the Central West of New South Wales, Furrevah border Collies is one of the small breeders known for breeding Border collies with high-quality temperament and standard.
Contact one of the rescue groups if you want to rescue a Border Collie. Also, get a chance to meet other families living with Border Collies through the following rescue groups.
BCRA is a rescue group that aims to help Border Collies that are mistreated, abused, abandoned, lost, or unwanted. A network of people connected through this group contributes by providing their abilities, care, love, and homes to such dogs.
BCCNSW was initiated in 1980 with the purpose of owning, breeding, and training Border Collies. This group ensures the well-being of every Border Collie, including health, grooming, and exercises, etc. BCCNSW also organizes events for Border Collies that help them remain physically and mentally fit.
Border Collies are smart, muscular, and workaholics. They don't mind working for the entire day to help and please their owner. Their energetic nature needs numerous physical activities to keep them busy. If you think you can take care of their physical and mental needs (exercise, food, and treatments in the case of any disease), they are perfect for you! They are happy, active, and lively dogs who love people and people love them too.